Person

Whiffen, Neville Albert (1912 - 2004)

OAM

Born
4 December 1912
Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia
Died
2 January 2004
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Chemical engineer

Summary

Neville Whiffen, FSTC MSc FRIC FIChemE FIEAust FRACI, was a chemical engineer with the Electricity Undertaking Sydney County Council 1929-1943, First Secretary and Scientific Attache with the Australian Embassy, Washington 1943-1948 and subsequently worked with Associated Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd, Burnie, Tasmania 1953-1957, and as Managing Director of Berger Paints (New South Wales and Pacific Islands) 1958-1963, Amalgamated Chemicals Ltd 1963-1965, and Abbott Laboratories (Chicago, USA) 1965-1978.

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Details

Chronology

1929 - 1943
Career position - Electricity Undertaking, Sydney County Council
1932
Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1935
Career event - Associate, Australian Chemical Institute
1938
Career event - Junior Member (JrIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1941
Career event - Associate Member (AMIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1943 - 1948
Career position - First Secretary and Scientific Attache with the Australian Embassy, Washington
1949
Career event - Fellow, Australian Chemical Institute
1953
Career event - Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI)
1953 - 1957
Career position - Associated Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd, Burnie, Tasmania
1958 - 1963
Career position - Managing Director, Berger Paints (New South Wales and Pacific Islands)
1960
Career event - Member (MIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia
1963 - 1965
Career position - Managing Director, Amalgamated Chemicals Ltd
1965 - 1978
Career position - Managing Director, Abbott Laboratories (Chicago, USA)
13 Sep 1968
Career event - Fellow (FIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia [Former Members were designated Fellows on this date.]
1971
Award - Institution of Chemical Engineers (London) Medal
1979
Award - R K M Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
1 Jan 2001
Award - Centenary Medal - For service to the community
2001
Award - R. K. Murphy Medal, Industrial Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
10 Jun 2002
Award - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to chemical engineering and industrial chemistry

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Neville Albert Whiffen - Records, 1939 - 1999, MS 187; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne

  • Audio diary and notes of Neville Whiffen, 1943 - 1948, P002211; Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne. Details
  • Interview with Dr. R. K. Murphy - father of chemical engineering in Australia, 1964; Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne. Details

Private hands (Whiffen, N.)

  • Neville Albert Whiffen - Records, 1930 - 1988; Private hands (Whiffen, N.). Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Book Sections

Journal Articles

  • Whiffen, N. A.; Norman, J. R., '50 Years of Chemical Engineering in Australia', Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 37 (7-8) (1965), N62-72. Details

Resources

Theses

See also

  • Draper, W. J. ed., Who's who in Australia 1983 (Melbourne, Victoria: Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, 1983), 960 pp. Page 898. Details

Gavan McCarthy; Ken McInnes

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 27 August 2026

EOAS ID: biogs/P002211b.htm

This Edition: 2026 August - Bibliographies
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